Toledo Mud Hens

The Toledo Mud Hens are a professional Minor League Baseball team based in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League and are affiliated with the Detroit Tigers franchise of Major League Baseball, based about 50 miles (80 km) north of Toledo. They play their home games at Fifth Third Field.

Toledo Mud Hens
Founded in 1883
Toledo, Ohio
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassTriple-A (1965–present)
LeagueInternational League (1965–present)
DivisionWest Division
Major league affiliations
TeamDetroit Tigers (1987–present)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1968
  • 2005
  • 2006
Division titles (6)
  • 1967
  • 2002
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2018
Team data
NameToledo Mud Hens (1965–present)
ColorsNavy, red, white, gold
       
MascotsMuddy and Muddonna
BallparkFifth Third Field (2002–present)
Previous parks
Ned Skeldon Stadium (1965–2001)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club
General ManagerErik Ibsen
ManagerTom Prince

Background

Muddy in a parade

Professional baseball had been played off and on in Toledo since 1883, but the Mud Hens era began in 1896 with the "Swamp Angels", who played in the Interstate League. They played in Bay View Park, which was outside the Toledo city limits and therefore not covered by the city's blue laws. The park was located near marshland inhabited by American coots, also known as "mud hens." For this reason, the local press soon dubbed the team the "Mud Hens"—a nickname that has stuck to Toledo baseball teams for all but a few years since. After only one year, though, the team moved to Armory Park.[1]

A Mud Hens team played in the American Association from its founding in 1903 until the team moved to Wichita, KS to become the Wichita Braves in 1955.

History

An International League franchise moved to Toledo from Richmond, Virginia in 1965 adopting the Mud Hens name to become the current incarnation of the Toledo Mud Hens. However they were based in Maumee, Ohio at the converted Fort Miami Fairgrounds. The local ownership group led by Ned Skeldon signed with the New York Yankees to be its top minor league team. In 1967, the Detroit Tigers replaced the Yankees as its major league affiliate. That year, the team was third in the league but claimed the Governor's Cup via the four team playoff. The next year the team won a record 83 games and the league pennant, while failing to win the cup again. The team was affiliated with Detroit until 1974. In 1974 and 1975, the Phillies affiliated with the Mud Hens, followed by two years affiliated with Cleveland Indians. All four seasons were losing seasons.[1]pg. 77

The Minnesota Twins took over as the team's major league affiliate and brought in Gene Cook as general manager, who was good at promoting the team, particularly as a family event. Cook also got Jamie Farr to incorporate the Mud Hens in Farr's M*A*S*H character's background.[1]pg. 77

Notable players

Season-by-season records

The records of the last five Toledo Mud Hens seasons are listed below.

Season Wins Losses Win % Place Postseason
2015 61 83 .424 4th in IL West Did not qualify
2016 68 76 .472 4th in IL West Did not qualify
2017 70 71 .496 3rd in IL West Did not qualify
2018 73 66 .525 1st in IL West Lost Governors' Cup Semi-finals
2019 66 74 .471 T-2nd in IL West Did not qualify
5-Year Record 338 370 .477 1 Division Title 0 League Titles

Roster

Toledo Mud Hens roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders


Outfielders

Manager

Coaches


7-day injured list
* On Detroit Tigers 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated January 14, 2021
Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB  International League
Detroit Tigers minor league players

  • M*A*S*H character Maxwell Klinger (played by Jamie Farr) hailed from Toledo and often mentioned the Mud Hens as his favorite baseball team throughout the series. He was often seen wearing a Toledo Mud Hens cap (which bears a strong resemblance to a Texas Rangers cap). In fact, Klinger feels so strongly about the Mud Hens that he gets put on KP duty for a month when he punches his arch nemesis, Sgt. Zelmo Zale, who insulted the Mud Hens. Like Klinger, Farr was born and raised in Toledo, and the Mud Hens retired jersey No. 1 in Farr's honor.
  • The title character of the comic strip Crankshaft was a pitcher for the Mud Hens just before World War II when he enlisted in the Army. He invariably wears a Mud Hens cap in the strip, and reminisces often about his playing days. In the summer of 2016 the Mud Hens retired jersey No. 13 in Crankshaft's honor.
  • Lou Brown, the manager of the Cleveland Indians in the fictional film Major League, was said to have managed in Toledo for 30 years prior to managing the Indians.
  • Richard Pryor's character, Montgomery Brewster, in the 1985 film Brewster's Millions was said to have previously pitched for the Mud Hens.
  • Melissa & Joey’s character Joe Longo (played by Joey Lawrence) is a Mud Hens fan and claims they win every single time he goes to the game with his foam finger. In Season 3, Episode 21 "Plus One", Mel Hart (played by Melissa Joan Hart gets tickets right behind first base for Joe. They both end up at the game later in the episode.

See also

References

  1. Husman, John (2003). Baseball in Toledo. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738523275.
  2. "Toledo News Bee Page 11 Column 2 Sports". April 7, 1921. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  • The Toledo Baseball Guide of the Mud Hens 1883–1943, Ralph Elliott Lin Weber, 1944.
  • Baseball Reference
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.